What Is Locum Insurance?

In the fast-paced world of healthcare and professional services, continuity is everything. Patients rely on their doctors. Clients rely on their trusted advisors. But what happens when a key professional needs to take time off, whether due to illness, maternity leave, or an unexpected emergency?

That’s where locum insurance comes in.

What Is Locum Insurance?

Locum insurance, also known as locum tenens insurance, is a type of cover that provides financial support to a practice or business when a key individual (typically a partner, director, or sole practitioner) is absent and a temporary replacement, known as a locum, needs to be hired.

This kind of insurance is particularly common in sectors like:

• General Practice (GP surgeries)

• Dental practices

• Veterinary clinics

• Pharmacies

If a partner in your practice is off work due to illness, injury, or other covered reasons, locum insurance helps cover the cost of hiring someone to fill their role, so your business can keep operating smoothly.

Why Might You Need Locum Insurance?

Imagine this scenario:
One of the partners in your GP surgery falls ill unexpectedly and will be off for several weeks. You can’t simply close the clinic—your patients still need care. Hiring a qualified locum is essential, but locum fees can be high. Without insurance, your practice may face serious financial strain.

With locum insurance, the cost of hiring that temporary help is reimbursed, often up to a daily limit and for a set period of time (usually 12 months or more, depending on the policy). This allows your practice to stay functional, serve patients or clients, and reduce the financial burden of covering someone’s absence.

What Does Locum Insurance Typically Cover?

Each policy is different, but most locum insurance policies include:

• Reimbursement of locum hire costs

• Cover for long-term illnesses or serious injury

• Maternity or paternity leave (optional in some policies)

• Cover for jury service or compassionate leave

• Flexible waiting periods (you can choose how long before cover kicks in)

Some policies even offer:

• Mental health-related absence coverage

• Flexible benefit levels tailored to your business structure

Who Can Benefit from Locum Insurance?

Locum insurance is ideal for:

• GP practices with multiple partners

• Dental and vet practices with shared responsibilities

• Pharmacies reliant on one or two key staff

• Any small professional partnership where a colleague’s absence could disrupt operations

Even businesses with internal resources can find locum insurance beneficial—it helps preserve working capital and reduces the stress of finding emergency cover at short notice.

How MIC Can Help

At MIC, we understand the unique needs of healthcare and professional practices. Our locum insurance solutions are designed to be flexible, reliable, and tailored to your business. Whether you’re looking for cover for just one key person or your entire partnership, we can help you find the right policy to give you peace of mind.